Apparatus for timing artillery projectiles provided with clockworkoperated fuses



June 15 1926. 1,589,271

A. VARAUD APPARATUS FOR TIMING ARTILLERY PROJECTILES PROVIDED WITHCLOCKWORK OPERATED FUSES Filed June 26. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 151926. 1,589,271

A. VARAUD APPARATUS FOR TIMING ARTILLERY PROJECTILES PROVIDED WITHCLOCKWORK OPERATED FUSES Filed June 26. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 e iLPatented June 15, 1926.

ANDRE VARAUD, OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TIMING ARTILLEEY PROJECTILES ZEROVIDED WITH CLOCKWORKOPERATED FUSES.

Application filed June 26, 1925, Serial No. 39,700, and in SwitzerlandJune 28, 1924- i The object of the present invention is the provision ofan apparatus for timing artillery projectiles provided with clockworkoperated fuses of the type in which the wind- 6 ing of the power springof the clockwork and the adjustment of the time for the ignition vof thecharge of the projectile are simultaneously effected by turning a keywhich is axially disposed at the point or nose of the projectile and bywhich the key may be turned through a predetermined angle which isdetermined with great exactness:

The apparatus made in accordance with the inventionpreferably comprisesa frame or fixed body member, a rotary member for turning the key of theprojectile or a plurality of rotary members for simultaneously turningthe keys of a corresponding number of projectiles a crown wheel havinginternally arranged teeth for controlling the said rotary member anoperating handle for driving the crown wheel in one direction only, amovable dial adjacent and mounted co-axially with the crown wheel andprovided with circular graduations. means for turning the movable dialby hand independentlyof the crown wheel and for holding the movable dialstationary in as many individual angular positions as the fuse may begiven different setting positions,together with a spring for automati'cally returning the crown wheel to an initial position after each timingoperation. The

r frame or body member. the graduated dial and the crown wheel are eachprovided with an abutment which cooperate for limiting the angulardisplacements of the crown wheel in opposite directions as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan ofan apparatus made in accordance with myinven' tion. taken on line 1-1, Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line Ill-11, Fig. 1. i Fig. 3 [is asectional elevation on line IIIIII, Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2; but taken on line IIIIII, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the clutchmechanism showing the partsin engagement, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the parts of the clutch disengaged.

Thebody a of the apparatus is preferably box shape and is supported onfeet indicated at u. A block 6? see Fig. 3, is fixed on'the frame a byscrews or otherwise and is provided with two eye-shaped recesses eachadapted to receive the downwardly directed point of aprojectile, theangular position of which is fixed in any suitable manner. j

. Thewinding and simultaneous setting'key A ofeach one of theseprojectiles is driven by means ofa tenon mounted with a certain verticalplay in a transverse slit 0 provided at the upper end of a verticalshaft 0. This latter is by means of a key 0 fixed to thehub of a pinion(Z meshing with the inner teeth of a controlling crown e.

This crown carries a stop 8 cooperating on the one part' with a fixedabutment 1- (Fig. 2) for limiting in one direction the travel of thecontrol crown. and on the other part, with amovable abutment t fixed bymeans of screws 25 under a graduated crown n having helicoidal teeth ain mesh with a tangential worm o This wormturns in a bearing a fixed inthe interior of the body a of theapparatus and is driven by hand bymeans of a small handle 0*. On the shaft of thishandle is fixed agraduated drum 0 cooperating with the fixed index 0 y This shaft carriesalso a. toothed disk 0 fixed behind the drum 0 in such a manner as tocooperate with a spring pawl '12 subjected to the action of a spring '1)which tends to hold it constantly engaged with one-of the teeth of thedisk 0 Thereare as many teeth on the disk 0 as there are divisions ofthe drum 0? so that without the necessity of any groping the angular position of the handle 0 can be determined which corresponds to one of thesetting positions of the graduated drum 0. The spring pawl'c worksvertically in a guide 0 fixed by the aid of screw a (Fig. 3) on theinner face of the body a of the apparatus.

The pitch of the screw 0 is calculated in proportion to the graduationof the crown n in such a manner that the latter describes an anglecorresponding to one of these divisions for each turn of the screw. Eachdivision of the crown can be subdivided in as many fractions as thereare divisions of the graduationonthe drum o The'mockm of the em the (itsired 'settingrposition is effected bye tanv geliti'al worm 0 whichitself is immohilize ci in :OIie' of the setting pdSit-ions: indicatedby; "thedlfum o hy the spring-pawl 'v. V In the-f. cgwaemnfi thegbodiy aojibthefl appnijzutus; an; opening constitutinga,"window is pmxriudedi;-

'in whieh the gr aduations of. the crown n? V are successivelyvisi'blewhen; t hamnsof iS, op era-ted;

K'bH-l-Tbeari rmeshe's withe'pfni-oiiwiiitegml withe heiii is:

tu njthe centrolling crew'n e to its rest} posifi'on, which is"dietermined by the :centatct of the abutment s with the fixed abutment1%:

"The controlling crown a in" addition t9 thii'nternal teeth meshing withthe pi iiqns a isflPrOviddf with lateral teeth '0 which engagejwiti i'af'bevelpifiibn made i nfonef iecewith thG'slBve-{ffl-Q" end-1 qwingai'affehetfisl-eeyel Lslidin-gly mounted on-a'square m 'of theshafted-and subjected. tqthe action offanpaWl This" handle- (On-eachsha-ftio ags'ieeve y i fixed? by meansfqff a b I the front wall 01 thebody "a and berries; a I ring 7 screwed o its free sc 'ew threaded Theepei'ati'ng' teiid's tohold the respective lateragl" teethof 1 the}sleeve-- f andv of the" hand1ef in'mesh; A protecting sleeve ftlfiiXG-011- the hear f 'prote-eb: the ratchet devise; off

1h this construction vifled for diseonneeting ithe handle 7* aftereix'htimih'goperation are co'i'itmlled the jeetiles A which Q are to betimed lare eset in piece. s action of the eam is" foll'iw'sE:

aetibn of the weight (if-the two pibjeetiiee zs'gli'cie' 12 so as vtci'"openate i-aspningr push 2] plate 2 :1 epliplin-ggpl'ete pe is normallyhei inoperative position by-"the sprihg push z? WbTkiTi'g in the hofllbwaxle f'theg'sha ftw position'shewn ih Figf 69i I pesitionfahd thecoupling platefz} 'isf ei- 7 turned by the spring push 12 tofit'siilopera-fl" Th s sleeve rotates ftfre'elfy 111 a; heeriiig pit f fi'n'an bpenii g; of

feilbwing m'an neifby the aetion of removing" he timed are; set 111'-place this'pieteie-shifted;

-t{0 "its-operatiye position Fig. 5'in"which it fmechanicallyeomieetsgthe" shaft w; and the 70 V t'czimibegdriveminj olediree pinion f from which ensues fthttthe; con-,- tn'oiling erowilt-e,tionk by meansfo fgthe handle f 7 a When the-two projectile; Aare-taken 0fi', the two sieevesa z are. realm-(1m their prior "pinion fare diseonneetedif.

In the 'interi r of the b uide inwhich the slideigfi Works; This I framei'saprovided: with an iniiei'wprojeetibn v t a iwl'ii'ch' Serves: a

spring c is rempioyeiu I v The "Opel" fellows? 1 rhe fappamtli timiii g"desir-edi by means oi" the? handle: "0

we f

tangential; worm- .9.3 is thereu iron:v held i sta -i ,tione'it'y ingthisfpqsitidn; by ineiine' of the flingposition l by thkwdrmi 22?.",Tiheaappak riedirbytheug' prevent d'eteifieratinithedriv i 7appgifatiisf is; last theIigniti01i';%*eaeh "one ot these? operations ebiiigsuhdivided iii-the allowing maimen:

thefehy musing-the eoiipliiigqef; the shaftfm th P t i and thefwindingqf the reti rn spi ing 0115i; the 0 j t e pi ejectilesftimed vtherebycausing automaticallythei'i'disee fliisspnin'gijm t v It will beundenstoedthat;the?*aippamtilst 'tinsteadaoi beingc0n$tructedioriteceiwiiig a =14. Automatic; iretliiili; of? the: 'contreliiilg f.Crown" 6* uiiderfthevzxctiom of: the "spring 20 1 prndaiceci'ras S0011:aeitheaineiitie 0i theishanr' die tf jis nolongero'ppojsedtb fthe actionof V projectile or projectiles with the point or points thereofextending downwardly, the

apparatus may be so made as will also be understood that obvious changesin the construction of the apparatus may be jectiles made withoutdeparting from the nature and spirit of my invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for timing artillery proprovided with clockwork operatedfuses of the type described comprising a frame, a rotary member forturningthe key of a projectile, a crown wheel having internal teeth forcontrolling said rotary member, a movable dial placed coaxially with thecrown wheel and provided with circular graduations, means-for drivingsaid dial inde endently of the said crown wheel and for ho ding the samestationary in any one ofas many angular positions as the fuse mayreceivedifferent setting positions, and three abutments providedrespectively on the frame, the movable dial and the crown wheel to limitthe angular disdirections.

2. An apparatus for timing artillery projectiles provided with clockworkoperated fuses of the type described and according to 1 claim 1comprising a handle for driving the crown wheel, means for disconnectingsaid handle after each timing operation, and a spring for automaticallyreturning the crown wheel after each timing operation,

the said means being operative automatically by the removal of aprojectile which has been timed. i

3. An apparatus for timing artillery projectiles provided with clockworkoperated fuses of the type described and according to claim 1 comprisinga graduated dial, a gear having helical teeth associated with thegraduated dial, a tangential worm in constant mesh with said gear, anoperating her, and a spring pawl cooperating with handle for manuallydriving said worm, an arbor for said handle, a toothed member carried bythe said arbor, a graduated member also carried by the said arbor, afixed index cooperating with said graduated 111811111- for actuating thesaid push member said toothed member to exactly determine each angularposition of the said tangential worm corresponding to a graduation ofthe said graduated member to hold the said dial stationary in anyadjusting position of the apparatus each one of which corresponds to edto drive the shaft in one direction only,

a pinion in constant mesh with the crown wheel but normally running idleon said shaft, a coupling plate, a disengaging spring for normallyholding the said coupling plate in any inoperative position, and meansoperative on placing a projectile to be timed in position in theapparatus for shifting the said coupling plate into engagement with thesaid pinion.

5. An apparatus for timing artillery projectiles provided with clockworkoperated fuses of the type described and according to claim 1 comprisinga cam connecting with a rotary member, an oscillating lever actuated bysaid cam and a push member actuated in one direction by said lever forcoupling the handle to the timing mechanism when placing a projectile tobe timed in position in the apparatus, and a spring in the oppositedirection for disconnecting said handle and returning the said cam toits initial position in removing the projectile from the apparatus.

6. An apparatus for timing artillery projectiles provided with clockworkoperated fuses of the type described and according to claim 1 comprisinga tenon mounted with a predetermined extent of vertical play on the saidrotary member for turning the key of a projectile, and a damping springwhich acts upon said tenon for tending to prevent its deterioration bythe placing of a projectile to be timed in position in the apparatus.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDRE VARAUD.

